Twenty years’ experience drives the International Oriental Choreographer to Dare her #MyWay touch to the Classical Egyptian Raks. She took the vow of creating a #NeoBaladi in composing such an original choreography that would, without any effort, show her redefinition of the traditional Oriental Baladi in each and every corporal gesture, micro expressions and even in the ‘Galabeya’ yet without nurturing any disorientation in the fundamentals of this #OrientalDance style.
@ Javed Sobah
The scene of Serbia was the perfect location to present this whole new sublime approach. In order not to break the codes, she chose to introduce her definition of the Neo-Baladi through a 3 minutes impassioned Solo on the sweet melody of a mixed music- introducing on ‘Romantic Baladi’ by Mohammad Ali and going to the core of her performance on Hossam Ramzy ’s ‘El Hob Halal’ which literally means Unforbidden Love. A deep celebration of the Liberty of celebrating a pure Love graced by the Divine, and here she depicts each feeling of the free spirited in love one, through her zealous moves full of grace, sensuality and joy.
“Traditional Baladi has as essence spontaneity and intensity. It hides and shows at the same time the very merriment of profound expression of the feelings linked to the roots and depths of the music on which the choreography is created and shaped! On the other hand, in my approach to this new style of Raks, my ambition is to bring in the limelight each talent behind, starting with the song writer, the music composer, the dance choreographer and even the costume creators, light and sound system engineers. For sure, I am doing a ‘My Way’ version but still without deforming any essence” attests Latifa Saadi.
Her daring step demanded, indeed, loads of work and fine tune. But took just few hours of intense work sessions to imagine meticulously, conceptualise and realise. The main focuses were on each soft, swift, heavy arm movement and each gentleness in the multiple hand positions. Each force in the ribcage pops and strikes of the upper body and shoulders stresses synchronised with the abdomen twists and accents, belly undulations, circles, to and fro and sideways hips hypnotic movements and locks grounded on an energetic disciplined yet loose footwork! Last but not least, those hands playing with the hair, the facial expressions, the ‘lip language’ and the gazes who change sporadically, from sweet to intense, from contentment to ecstatic, following the evolution of the story illustrated in the dancing music!
We should admit, it was a representation of refinement that Latifa Saadi showed on the stage of the Niška Tvrđava- Niš Fortress during this first Edition of RAKS -NIS International Oriental Dance Festival Nis/Serbia initiated by Worldwide ‘Raks’ Organiser, Marina ‘Ajsa Samia’ Rehbein. Her choice of the particular black and silver adorned ‘Galabeya’ for this solo was to spread the image of simplicity and neutrality in this universe. Get immersed in the video…
After twenty years of devotion, the International Oriental Choreographer aims to bring her contribution in giving its true worth to the #WorldofOrientalDance in a ‘My Way’ Style, chasing away all inherited clichés hurting for too long the reputation of oriental dance! This is only the beginning, the best will be to follow her…
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Unveiling ‘Neo-Baladi’ by Latifa Saadi